By Stephenie Meyer
2005
Twilight has been the rave for teens and tweens for the last year or so. Since the release of the movie version, even more popularity has built up over the past few months. My friend, who had read the first book, and I went to see the movie (I mainly went for the viewing of the lead character Edward). Afterwards, she mentioned that the movie had differed quite a bit and had cut out many details and events. Curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to read the book.
First off, I would like to ridicule those girls' cynicism for saying that the movie was way worse because of the lack of detail. That book is freakin' long!!! There is no way a movie could have followed the book exactly. The movie would have been five hours long. The Sound of Music movie was three hours while the book was only about 200 pages. Now take a 500 page book and make the movie follow it word-for-word. I'm personally glad they cut the movie short. They explained enough for the audience to understand.
Second, I'm typically an optimistic person, always looking for the good and pure in things. However, the romance between Bella and Edward in the book is completely unrealistic!!! He tells her that he loves her on their second date. Who does that (and actually means it, anyways)??? They are drawn to each other, which I completely get. But, as the rate their going, it's got to be lust. Tons of readers were swooning over Edward and his relationship with Bella. But I say there's no way. Fortunately, the movie reflected modern reality much more precisely than the book did. Thank goodness too, otherwise I might have gagged. Overall, though, the book was every bit as intriguing as the movie.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul (VI)
Stressed is just desserts spelled backwards.
-Brain Luke Seaward
I first saw this saying at a little boutique store carved into a piece of wood meant to hang on a wall. Seeing it again in this Chicken Soup book still gave me the same feeling of almost instantaneous de-stressing. I'm not exactly sure why but thinking about stressors as nothing more than yummy desserts makes stress appear less vile and more friendly. Stress, of course, surrounds our lives daily and is necessary for our survival, but in today's times stress overwhelms the vase majority of the population. In a world that moves faster and faster each day, the number of stressors present only multiplies.
An important cure to stress is numbing some of those stressors by creating happiness elsewhere. For example, desserts always help to calm you down and provide a short time away from the rush of things. Actually, I recently read an article that talked about one way of relieving stress is to give/receive a hug or kiss everyday from someone. Even if you're just hugging your dog. Hugs and kisses are proven stress-relievers just like chocolate.
This school year in particular has been extremely stressful. With the Senior Project, college aps, scholarship competitions, AP classes, family and friends, and lacrosse, finding time for myself has become a rare thing indeed. Then there's deciding on my future while trying to maintain my present life. Wow! Keeping up with everything would be difficult for even the most organized person, let alone a seventeen-year-old girl. However, I find that leaving out a little time each day to de-stress always helps keep me sane. Anything from eating a piece of chocolate to hugging a friend to taking a leisurely bath helps tone down the intensity of life's stressors. By the end of the day, I have accomplished a few tasks and added on about twenty. But no matter. After all, "stressed is just desserts spelled backwards."
-Brain Luke Seaward
I first saw this saying at a little boutique store carved into a piece of wood meant to hang on a wall. Seeing it again in this Chicken Soup book still gave me the same feeling of almost instantaneous de-stressing. I'm not exactly sure why but thinking about stressors as nothing more than yummy desserts makes stress appear less vile and more friendly. Stress, of course, surrounds our lives daily and is necessary for our survival, but in today's times stress overwhelms the vase majority of the population. In a world that moves faster and faster each day, the number of stressors present only multiplies.
An important cure to stress is numbing some of those stressors by creating happiness elsewhere. For example, desserts always help to calm you down and provide a short time away from the rush of things. Actually, I recently read an article that talked about one way of relieving stress is to give/receive a hug or kiss everyday from someone. Even if you're just hugging your dog. Hugs and kisses are proven stress-relievers just like chocolate.
This school year in particular has been extremely stressful. With the Senior Project, college aps, scholarship competitions, AP classes, family and friends, and lacrosse, finding time for myself has become a rare thing indeed. Then there's deciding on my future while trying to maintain my present life. Wow! Keeping up with everything would be difficult for even the most organized person, let alone a seventeen-year-old girl. However, I find that leaving out a little time each day to de-stress always helps keep me sane. Anything from eating a piece of chocolate to hugging a friend to taking a leisurely bath helps tone down the intensity of life's stressors. By the end of the day, I have accomplished a few tasks and added on about twenty. But no matter. After all, "stressed is just desserts spelled backwards."
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul (V)
My company mascot is the bumblebee.
Because of its tiny wings and heavy body,
aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be
able to fly. But the bumblebee doesn't know
that, so it flies anyway.
-Mary Kay Ash
The first time I read this poem, I laughed and dismissed it as just comical. Bees shouldn't be able to fly, not with their fat, round bodies. You would think that bees would plummet to the ground the second they jump off of a flower petal.
Then, of course, I confirmed exactly why I don't often read poetry as my realization that this poem has nothing to do with bumblebees hit me. It was a comical metaphor, though. I fully appreciated Ms. Ash's humor.
To the author's point, just because one is born with limits, or is even declared by others as unworthy, does not mean that hope or courage should be forgotten. This actually reminds me of a movie (I mean educational video) that I saw in Biology called Gataca. It's a sci-fi futuristic movie about a man predetermined to fail in life. Because of his statistically bad genes, no one expected him to succeed at anything in life other than maybe living long enough to work a few years as a garbageman. Lucky for him, his stubbornness made him determined enough to chase his dreams of one day becoming an astronaut.
So, I know this sounds a little cliched, but... no one should feel limited or unworthy based on what others say. The only person who does the limiting is yourself. Like the bee, fly despite aerodynamics. Ignore the pessimism and do what you want.
Because of its tiny wings and heavy body,
aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be
able to fly. But the bumblebee doesn't know
that, so it flies anyway.
-Mary Kay Ash
The first time I read this poem, I laughed and dismissed it as just comical. Bees shouldn't be able to fly, not with their fat, round bodies. You would think that bees would plummet to the ground the second they jump off of a flower petal.
Then, of course, I confirmed exactly why I don't often read poetry as my realization that this poem has nothing to do with bumblebees hit me. It was a comical metaphor, though. I fully appreciated Ms. Ash's humor.
To the author's point, just because one is born with limits, or is even declared by others as unworthy, does not mean that hope or courage should be forgotten. This actually reminds me of a movie (I mean educational video) that I saw in Biology called Gataca. It's a sci-fi futuristic movie about a man predetermined to fail in life. Because of his statistically bad genes, no one expected him to succeed at anything in life other than maybe living long enough to work a few years as a garbageman. Lucky for him, his stubbornness made him determined enough to chase his dreams of one day becoming an astronaut.
So, I know this sounds a little cliched, but... no one should feel limited or unworthy based on what others say. The only person who does the limiting is yourself. Like the bee, fly despite aerodynamics. Ignore the pessimism and do what you want.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Chicken Suop for the Unsinkable Soul (IV)
"You can't be afraid of stepping on toes if you want to go dancing."
Lewis Freedman
This saying has just made it to the top of my favorite quotes list. Wise man, that Lewis Freedman. This quote can definitely be applied to just about any life situation worth mentioning. Any obstacle you have overcome or any dream you have insisted on pursuing probably included a moment of doubt where you became unsure of whether or not to continue. In my experience, the moment of doubt arrives when weighing out the pros and cons of the situation. One of the cons will always be how your actions negatively affect those around you. For example, if I had the option between spending one week during the summer interning for a physical therapist (which is the field I would like to go into) or spending one last week with my family at the beach before school starts, I would choose the job.
Although my family would be crushed, the one week of interning would provide me with enough insight as to whether physical therapy is truly the profession I want to enter. Plus, while I would not wish to hurt my family's feelings, they will always be there for me whereas interning is a rare position for a high school student. All dreams worth going after will present similar dilemmas. And everything worth doing comes at a price, so why be afraid of the cost? Just make sure you weigh your options before hand, and everything will work out. Don't let a small price stand in your way. Like Freedman says, "you can't be afraid of stepping on toes if you want to go dancing."
Lewis Freedman
This saying has just made it to the top of my favorite quotes list. Wise man, that Lewis Freedman. This quote can definitely be applied to just about any life situation worth mentioning. Any obstacle you have overcome or any dream you have insisted on pursuing probably included a moment of doubt where you became unsure of whether or not to continue. In my experience, the moment of doubt arrives when weighing out the pros and cons of the situation. One of the cons will always be how your actions negatively affect those around you. For example, if I had the option between spending one week during the summer interning for a physical therapist (which is the field I would like to go into) or spending one last week with my family at the beach before school starts, I would choose the job.
Although my family would be crushed, the one week of interning would provide me with enough insight as to whether physical therapy is truly the profession I want to enter. Plus, while I would not wish to hurt my family's feelings, they will always be there for me whereas interning is a rare position for a high school student. All dreams worth going after will present similar dilemmas. And everything worth doing comes at a price, so why be afraid of the cost? Just make sure you weigh your options before hand, and everything will work out. Don't let a small price stand in your way. Like Freedman says, "you can't be afraid of stepping on toes if you want to go dancing."
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Chicken Suop for the Unsinkable Soul (III)
"Sorrow" is a poem by Abraham Lincoln which talks about how often people are sad, but they must believe they will be happy again. This reminded me about an quarrel I was having with my father the other week. I don't remember exactly what we were arguing about, except that we were talking about my college decision. I decided to go to Berry, and I think he asked how I knew it is the right place for me next year. I responded by saying that I couldn't know for certain. Then he kept pressing the idea that I might be unhappy there and what would I do. I said, "I could always transfer and start over, and would you stop being so pessimistic?"
Surprisingly, he began talking in code about how he had gotten hurt one time and always braced himself for the worst. (Even though I didn't know what he was referring to, it explained a lot.) Although I completely understand how life events can shape a person's perspective, I must admit, I was kind of disappointed by his response. Maybe it's just my naivete, but I honestly don't thing life is worth anything if you can't look forward to something. Hope is a marvelous thing. And if by chance you do get hurt, you just pick yourself back up, dry off the tears, look around for the next move, and go for it. Like Lincoln says, "You are sure to be happy again." Granted, some sad things will stay with you forever, but its the ability to continually look for happiness that really makes life worth living.
Surprisingly, he began talking in code about how he had gotten hurt one time and always braced himself for the worst. (Even though I didn't know what he was referring to, it explained a lot.) Although I completely understand how life events can shape a person's perspective, I must admit, I was kind of disappointed by his response. Maybe it's just my naivete, but I honestly don't thing life is worth anything if you can't look forward to something. Hope is a marvelous thing. And if by chance you do get hurt, you just pick yourself back up, dry off the tears, look around for the next move, and go for it. Like Lincoln says, "You are sure to be happy again." Granted, some sad things will stay with you forever, but its the ability to continually look for happiness that really makes life worth living.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Chicken Suop for the Unsinkable Soul (II)
"Youth is a gift of nature,
Age is a work of art."
The story that goes with this quote talks about a woman who decided to go back to school at the age of 37. After years of believing she was too old, she convinced herself by list the accomplishments of multiple woman, all of whom are considered "old." For example, "Grandma Moses began a painting career at the age of seventy-six. . . . Shirley Temple Black was ambassador to Ghana at the age of forty-seven. Golda Meir in 1969 was elected prime minister of Israel. She had just turned seventy-one." So she thought if they can do it, "It's my turn."
Along with this inspirational story and quote, I began thinking about age. And, I've come to several conclusions...
1) Youth lacks experience, whereas age allows enough time for experience to shape and mold a personality. The problem I have with today's society is that people focus so much on looking and being younger than they are. You spend your whole childhood trying to prove yourself a responsible human being to your parents so that they trust you. Then by the time you reach twenty-five and are living on your own, you try to look and act young again. We're living life backwards!!! Children should just enjoy childhood while it lasts. All too soon something bad is going to happen and force them to grow up anyways. So why push growing up even sooner?
2) Then, you have these fifty-year-old women trying to look thirty (like that's ever going to happen!) instead of just appreciating the live they've led and the looks they've acquired. It's like dying your hair. Why try to change it? Most people look fine with the color they were born with. Just be happy with the body you've been given. Proper diet and exercise are the only two things that should be used to change our bodies and make them "better". Otherwise, leave them alone.
3) Age must provide extra strength. Like with the lady in the story, she finally found the courage to do something that she feared. Children always run from the things they are scared of, but how often do you see an adult fleeing from something scary (that's not life-threatening)? Take spiders, for instance. I know my mom's a little scared of them. But every time we find one in the house, she just smashes it with a paper towel or shoe, whereas I go running down the hall for help. And I always think, "Wow, she is so brave!" But I figure, one day I'll have the courage to kill the spider, too. Age is a wondrous thing.
Age is a work of art."
The story that goes with this quote talks about a woman who decided to go back to school at the age of 37. After years of believing she was too old, she convinced herself by list the accomplishments of multiple woman, all of whom are considered "old." For example, "Grandma Moses began a painting career at the age of seventy-six. . . . Shirley Temple Black was ambassador to Ghana at the age of forty-seven. Golda Meir in 1969 was elected prime minister of Israel. She had just turned seventy-one." So she thought if they can do it, "It's my turn."
Along with this inspirational story and quote, I began thinking about age. And, I've come to several conclusions...
1) Youth lacks experience, whereas age allows enough time for experience to shape and mold a personality. The problem I have with today's society is that people focus so much on looking and being younger than they are. You spend your whole childhood trying to prove yourself a responsible human being to your parents so that they trust you. Then by the time you reach twenty-five and are living on your own, you try to look and act young again. We're living life backwards!!! Children should just enjoy childhood while it lasts. All too soon something bad is going to happen and force them to grow up anyways. So why push growing up even sooner?
2) Then, you have these fifty-year-old women trying to look thirty (like that's ever going to happen!) instead of just appreciating the live they've led and the looks they've acquired. It's like dying your hair. Why try to change it? Most people look fine with the color they were born with. Just be happy with the body you've been given. Proper diet and exercise are the only two things that should be used to change our bodies and make them "better". Otherwise, leave them alone.
3) Age must provide extra strength. Like with the lady in the story, she finally found the courage to do something that she feared. Children always run from the things they are scared of, but how often do you see an adult fleeing from something scary (that's not life-threatening)? Take spiders, for instance. I know my mom's a little scared of them. But every time we find one in the house, she just smashes it with a paper towel or shoe, whereas I go running down the hall for help. And I always think, "Wow, she is so brave!" But I figure, one day I'll have the courage to kill the spider, too. Age is a wondrous thing.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul
Compiled By: Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Heather McNamara
Year: 1999
Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul is a collection of 101 short stories, poems, and quotes meant to help people through times of difficulty. The first one that really grabbed my attention is actually a letter written from a mom to her daughter, Jesse.
In the letter, Jesse just finished high school and is a couple of weeks away from starting college. She's the middle child of three and watched her mother fight cancer. This may sound a little weird, but I felt like it was my mom talking to me. There were so many similarities in the anecdotes told about Jesse's life and my actually life- I couldn't help but feel a connection.
At one point, the mom says:
I know you've been looking forward to this moment for a long time. I've watched you during this past your, as the countdown has become a reality. You've worked hard and planned. That's one of the things I like best about you, your ability to run a good race. To set a goal, train and then go for it. . . . If life is a race-- though I really don't like to think this experience is anything we should rush through-- I think you're going to do well. You're in shape, you've trained hard and you have the tenacity to make it over the obstacles. I'm proud of you.
This is definitely something my mom would say and has said to me. Typically, I love setting goals, and I'm very reasonable in my goal setting. I can't recall a time that I've ever set a goal way too far out of my reach. And, not to say I always come out the victor compared to other people, but I do always make it to the finish line. I don't like to be defeated, especially when it's something that I control. For example, last spring I made my biggest goal. I decided to walk in the 3-Day Breast Cancer walk (I think I mentioned that previously). It's 60 miles and you must raise $2,200 in order to participate. Well, not being much of a walker and never having raised more than $20 in my life (and even then I had some help from my mom with Sallie Foster!), my mom practically laughed in my face when I told her of my newest endeavor. Well, if you know me, you know what I did. I defensively say, "I can to do it, and I will!" I held my head up high, turned around, and walked away- refusing to hear any negativity. I made an action plan, suck to it, and finished with flying colors. (And on the plus-side, I even made my mom cry she was so proud.)
Out of my sisters and me, I've always been the one that's kind of "out there." My mom always said my middle name should have been "Go" because I don't like to sit still and do nothing. I'm always on the run looking for adventure. Like Jesse, I can't wait to leave high school and prove myself out in the "real world." But, also like Jesse, my mom did give me "two essentials-- roots and wings." While I do need to get away, I'll always find my way back home. As long as my mom knows that, I think she'll be able to let go. And, like every caring mother, I guarantee the last advice my mom will give me before I leave for college is, "Enjoy the view. Remember you've got teammates who'll help when the course is rough. Take time to rest every once in a while, and whenever you need to. . . use your wings."
Year: 1999
Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul is a collection of 101 short stories, poems, and quotes meant to help people through times of difficulty. The first one that really grabbed my attention is actually a letter written from a mom to her daughter, Jesse.
In the letter, Jesse just finished high school and is a couple of weeks away from starting college. She's the middle child of three and watched her mother fight cancer. This may sound a little weird, but I felt like it was my mom talking to me. There were so many similarities in the anecdotes told about Jesse's life and my actually life- I couldn't help but feel a connection.
At one point, the mom says:
I know you've been looking forward to this moment for a long time. I've watched you during this past your, as the countdown has become a reality. You've worked hard and planned. That's one of the things I like best about you, your ability to run a good race. To set a goal, train and then go for it. . . . If life is a race-- though I really don't like to think this experience is anything we should rush through-- I think you're going to do well. You're in shape, you've trained hard and you have the tenacity to make it over the obstacles. I'm proud of you.
This is definitely something my mom would say and has said to me. Typically, I love setting goals, and I'm very reasonable in my goal setting. I can't recall a time that I've ever set a goal way too far out of my reach. And, not to say I always come out the victor compared to other people, but I do always make it to the finish line. I don't like to be defeated, especially when it's something that I control. For example, last spring I made my biggest goal. I decided to walk in the 3-Day Breast Cancer walk (I think I mentioned that previously). It's 60 miles and you must raise $2,200 in order to participate. Well, not being much of a walker and never having raised more than $20 in my life (and even then I had some help from my mom with Sallie Foster!), my mom practically laughed in my face when I told her of my newest endeavor. Well, if you know me, you know what I did. I defensively say, "I can to do it, and I will!" I held my head up high, turned around, and walked away- refusing to hear any negativity. I made an action plan, suck to it, and finished with flying colors. (And on the plus-side, I even made my mom cry she was so proud.)
Out of my sisters and me, I've always been the one that's kind of "out there." My mom always said my middle name should have been "Go" because I don't like to sit still and do nothing. I'm always on the run looking for adventure. Like Jesse, I can't wait to leave high school and prove myself out in the "real world." But, also like Jesse, my mom did give me "two essentials-- roots and wings." While I do need to get away, I'll always find my way back home. As long as my mom knows that, I think she'll be able to let go. And, like every caring mother, I guarantee the last advice my mom will give me before I leave for college is, "Enjoy the view. Remember you've got teammates who'll help when the course is rough. Take time to rest every once in a while, and whenever you need to. . . use your wings."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
